1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to attachment devices that can be attached to panels, e.g. roof panels, front header panels and other vehicle body panels. More particularly, the present invention relates to attachment devices that can be attached to the vehicle panel in order to secure accessory members, e.g. a sun visor, a sun visor holder, a mirror, an assist grip and other such members, to the vehicle panel, to thereby attach vehicle lining sheets to the panels. These attachment members may be designed, e.g., as a sun visor mounting bracket, a room mirror mounting bracket, an assist grip mounting bracket, a sun visor holder unit, and other such members.
2. Description of the Related Art
A front header panel for a vehicle generally includes a panel lining sheet. Typically, the panel lining sheet is attached to the front header panel by utilizing accessory members that are usually secured to the front header panel by screws or other such fasteners.
Generally, the panel lining sheet is overlaid on the front header panel and is temporarily attached thereto. Subsequently, the accessory members, for example, a sun visor or a sun visor holder, are positioned on the panel lining sheet. The accessory members are secured to the front header panel by screws or fixture pins, so as to attach the sun visor and the sun visor holder to the front header panel. The panel lining sheet is interleaved between the front header panel and the accessory members.
However, known accessory members must be manually retained in place on the panel lining sheet, or by utilizing another retainer means, when known accessory members are attached to the front header panel using screws. Thus, the attachment operation is labor-intensive and time consuming when the accessory members are not adapted to be previously attached to the panel lining sheet.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Application Number 11-78521 purports to describe an improved method for attaching a panel lining sheet to a front header panel. In this known method, accessory members (a sun visor and a sun visor holder) are previously attached to the panel lining sheet-using screws, so as to form a panel lining sheet assembly. The panel lining sheet assembly includes attachment devices or fixture clips that can be inserted into corresponding mounting holes formed in the front header panel and are adapted to elastically engage the mounting holes. Further, the fixture clips are simultaneously attached to the inner surface of the panel lining sheet using screws when the accessory members are attached to the panel lining sheet. The resulting panel lining sheet assembly is overlaid on the front header panel and then the fixture clips provided thereon are pressed into the mounting holes. Thus, the accessory members are attached to the front header panel and the panel lining sheet is securely interleaved between the accessory members and the front header panel.
According to this known technique, it is not necessary to retain the accessory members in place on the panel lining sheet when the accessory members are attached to the front header panel. Instead, the accessory members are pre-assembled with the panel lining sheet, so as to form the panel lining sheet assembly. In addition, the panel lining sheet assembly can be easily attached to the front header panel in one operation by attaching the accessory members to the front header panel. This assembly is accomplished by simply pushing the fixture clips into the mounting holes of the front header panel after the panel lining sheet assembly is overlaid on the front header panel. Thus, the panel lining sheet is securely attached to the front header panel by means of the attached accessory members and the panel lining sheet can be attached to the front header panel relatively easily and quickly.
However, in this known technique, in order to prepare the panel lining sheet assembly, the fixture clips and the accessory members are separately arranged on the panel lining sheet, and are pre-assembled with the panel lining sheet by using common screws. Therefore, time consuming and labor intensive work is still required to prepare the panel lining sheet assembly.
It is, accordingly, an object of the present teachings to teach improved attachment devices that overcome the one or more problems of the known attaching devices.
In one aspect of the present teachings, improved attachment devices can be utilized to a vehicle lining sheet to a vehicle panel. In another aspect of the present teachings, improved methods for attaching a vehicle lining sheet to a vehicle panel are taught that will overcome one or more problems of known attaching methods.
In another aspect of the present teachings, attachment devices are taught that may include a first engagement means provided on a main body. As the first engagement means is pushed into a receiving hole of a vehicle lining sheet, this first engagement means elastically engages the receiving hole, so as to form a vehicle lining sheet assembly that comprises the vehicle lining sheet and the attachment devices. The attachment devices also may include a second engagement means provided on the main body. The second engagement means may be pushed into a mounting hole of a vehicle panel after the vehicle lining sheet is overlaid on the vehicle panel. The second engagement means may preferably elastically engage the mounting hole, so that the attachment devices are mounted on the vehicle panel. The vehicle lining sheet will be interposed between the attachment devices and the vehicle panel. As a result, the vehicle lining sheet is attached to the vehicle panel at the time the attachment devices are installed.
Thus, attachment devices can be attached to a vehicle lining sheet in one simple operation by pressing a first engagement means of the attachment devices into a receiving hole of a vehicle lining sheet, so as to form a vehicle lining sheet assembly. Also, the attachment devices can be attached to a vehicle panel in one simple operation by pressing a second engagement means of the attachment devices into a mounting hole of a vehicle panel, so as to attach the vehicle lining sheet on the vehicle panel.
Because this design is superior to known attachment device, the panel lining sheet assembly, which may comprise the vehicle lining sheet and the attachment devices, can be easily manufactured. Further, the resulting panel lining sheet assembly can be easily and quickly attached to the vehicle panel. Thus, the present attachment devices minimize manual labor required to install the vehicle accessories and vehicle lining sheet on the vehicle panel and provide a substantial improvement over known attachment devices.
Additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily understood after reading the following detailed description together with the accompanying drawings and the claims.